Initiatives

Overview

In the 1990s, Congress enacted major changes to our banking policies. These changes untethered banks from their communities, allowed federally insured banks to engage in speculative trading, and fueled a massive wave of mergers.

Overview

Access to the Internet is an essential infrastructure for any community that cares about economic development, quality of life, and educational opportunities. Unfortunately, most communities are presently dependent on a few unaccountable absentee corporations that act as gatekeepers to...

Overview

Wind and sun are available everywhere, so renewable energy can be economically harnessed at small scales across the country. This nature of renewable energy, and the exponential increase of renewable energy generation, promises to decentralize the nation’s grid system. ...

Overview

At the founding of the American Republic the word “private” had pejorative connotations. Derived from the Latin word “privare”, private meant to divide or tear apart. A privateer was a pirate. The word “public” was an honorable adjective, often...

Overview

ILSR's Waste to Wealth program helps communities across the country create policies and practices that address citizens' environmental concerns and economic needs. We help citizens fight the incinerators and landfills that pollute their air and water, and drive property...

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The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/comcast-ghostwrites-letters-from-elected-officials-to-fcc-3/

It is common knowledge that Comcast and a number of political leaders enjoy special relationships. Nevertheless, it was still a bit shocking to see the level at which Comcast’s army has infiltrated the political process as uncovered in a recent Verge article. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, and CenturyLink lawyers and lobbyists often write legislation… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/crap-cable-threatens-cloud-services/

For my money, the best headline of last week was “The U.S.’s crap infrastructure threatens the cloud.” The rant goes on to explain just how crummy our access to the Internet is. As a patriotic American, I find the current political atmosphere where telecom lobbyists set the agenda to be a nightmare. All over the… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/accusation-corruption-favor-time-warner-cable-north-carolina-general-assembly/

Accusations of special treatment for Time Warner Cable found their way into floor debate at the North Carolina General Assembly and it was no surprise to ILSR staff. Republican legislator and former Committee Chair Robert Brawley shared a revealing letter he wrote to Speaker Thom Tillis questioning his relationship with Time Warner Cable. ILSR covered… Continue reading